Dmitri Cherniak

“Lights Years is a study in contrast – light and dark, life and death, past and future, here and there – and was developed iteratively as I travelled around the world researching the late, great Bauhaus educator and artist László Moholy-Nagy. 

Nearly one hundred years separate my birth from that of Moholy-Nagy, and despite that distance, I feel a deep connection to his work and what he represents. Not only do we share aesthetic sensibilities, but a vision for a future where technology and automation are appreciated for their creative and cultural potential, and not just as economic and political tools. 

With the support of his estate, I was able to dig deep into archives in North America and Europe and put together a series of works, through a process that I believe will help elucidate generative art’s connection to the history of art in the 20th century. It was documented thoroughly, and I hope you get the opportunity to watch the documentary put together by Fellowship. 

Although my artistic practice might feel light years away from the experimental and influential practice of Moholy-Nagy, throughout this project I was constantly reminded that our separation in time and space was not so distant: When you are automating art at the speed of light, things are much closer than they appear.”

— Dmitri Cherniak